The Role of Laminin Isoforms in Glioblastoma Migration

Authors

• Aseel Ahmed, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeFollow
• Faezeh Ghobadi, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeFollow
• Hanna Devillier, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeFollow
• Qi Cai, Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical CollegeFollow

Document Type

Professional Conference

Semester of Graduation

Spring 2026

Abstract

Glioblastoma (GBM) remains the most prevalent and lethal invasive brain tumor, denoted by a median survival of 12-15 months despite standard procedures such as safe surgical resection, radiotherapy, and chemotherapy. This limited effectiveness largely arises from the infiltrative nature of GBM cells, which interact with the brain’s extracellular matrix (ECM) by migrating along blood vessels and axonal pathways. The ECM contains the interstitial matrix (IM) and the
basement membrane (BM) made up of proteins and glycans which interact with the malignant cells. While research has mainly been focused on understanding how GBM cells interact with IM components, our knowledge about the role of BM components in tumor migration remains limited. This knowledge gap is a significant barrier to developing effective therapeutics to inhibit
tumor migration and recurrence. In this project, we aim to investigate how laminin, the major component of BM, contributes to the GBM migration. We first investigated the effects of laminin-111, 211, 411, and 511 in tumor
migration using U87 GBM cells in a transwell model. The results show that, in the absence of chemoattractant/stimulus, laminin 511 significantly promoted migration compared to collagen control. In contrast, laminin-111 and 411 do not promote GBM cell migration. Notably, laminin-211 significantly reduces tumor migration compared to collagen and other laminin isotypes. Moreover,
incubating with laminin does not decrease cell viability. Our ongoing work focuses on understanding the biophysical and biochemical interactions between GBM cells and BM laminin to further elucidate the role of laminin in GBM migration. The insights gained could potentially bridge the gap between tumor migration studies and therapeutic development, significantly enhancing the quality of life for GBM patients.

Recommended Citation

Ahmed, A., Ghobadi, F., Devillier, H., & Cai, Q. (2026). The Role of Laminin Isoforms in Glioblastoma Migration. Retrieved from https://repository.lsu.edu/discover_dur/1

Awardee Name

Aseel Ahmed

Academic Major

Biological Engineering

Project Mentor

Qi Cai